Saturday 15 February 2014

Smoke in the country takes wing while the cuckoos sing 杜鹃聲裏野煙浮 'e rendition 2'


七絕 ‧ 春日》夜月星河
     
       杜鹃聲裏野煙
       碧水盈盈蕩小
       堤岸桃紅新柳綠,
       白雲春夢兩悠


Qī Jué‧Chūn Rì: 
"28-Character Quatrain . Spring Day"
-- by 夜月星河 'Night Moon Starry River'
-- Translated by Frank C Yue

Smoke in the country takes wing while 
                                                  the cuckoos sing;
A small boat sways on the water aqaumarine.
On banks, red peach flow'rs and green 
                                         fresh willows are seen;
The white clouds and Spring dreams are 
                                                  leisurely cruising.



this is my 'Take 2' rendition of Starry River's qi jue quatrain which the poet himself  夜月星河  has translated into a quatrain in English below:  Bravo!
(and of course, ideally, a 4-line Chinese quatrain should be similarly translated into a 4-line English quatrain.)

Qī Jué‧Chūn Rì: 
"28-Character Quatrain . Spring Day"
-- by 夜月星河 'Night Moon Starry River'

When cuckoos sing, smoke in the 
                                          wilderness is rising;
On the limpid water a tiny boat is rocking.
On both banks are green willows 
                               and peach trees flowering;
Have carefree spring dreams while white                                           leisure clouds are drifting.

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